Cross River lawmakers bag UN Peace Ambassadors awards

The United Nations International Association of World Peace Advocates, on Wednesday,  conferred the UN Peace Ambassador award on the Speaker of Cross River House of Assembly, Mr Eteng Jonah-Williams.

The international organisation also honoured another member of the assembly, Mr Hilary Bisong with its Peace Ambassador award in Calabar.

President of the association, Mr Per Stefsen, while presenting the awards at the Speaker’s office, said that the recipients were selected for their contributions to peace building in the state.

Stefsen said that the awardees have been playing important roles in mediating peace in the state, adding that the awards were well-deserved.

The president commended the members of the assembly for their contributions to the growth of the state, especially in the area of resolving disputes among communities in the state.

Stefsen also presented copies of the UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), the UN charter, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the association’s constitution to the recipients.

He restated the association’s commitment to promoting peace and sustainable development goals in Africa.

Responding, Speaker of the House, Mr Eteng Jonah-Williams, thanked the association for the honour, and pledged the assembly’s commitment to peace building in the state.

“We want to specially thank you for this honour. I want to assure you that we will continue to preach peace in our different constituencies for sustainable growth,” he said.

Jonah-Williams expressed the assembly’s readiness to partner with the association in promoting peace and sustainable development in the state.

Bisong, who represents Boki 2 State Constituency and Chairman, Special Committee on Humanitarian Crisis and Disaster Management, spoke on the activities of the committee.

He said that the committee had enhanced peace between the Cameroonian refugees and their host communities.

“In the House of Assembly, we have a duty to communicate between our communities and the refugees and we have been able to sustain the peace.

“We have done a lot of visitations within the camp and we are always interfacing with the refugees and the host communities to sustain this peace.

“As a state, we have made provision in the 2020 budget to cater for the welfare of the refugees in the area of health, water, education and sanitation, with a view to uplift the infrastructure in the host communities where the refugees are.

“I must commend Gov. Ben Ayade for this gesture because the action has stabilise the refugees in the state,” he said.

He said that the period of COVID-19 pandemic, should be a time for people to show love and care to one another, adding that such disposition would help in putting smiles on people’s faces.